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“Not really. Obviously it is a different front, with the true four down guys. Too much gets made of a 3-4 in a lot of sense but they are true four down linemen, with hands on the ground. It is different in that sense. I think it is kind of a combination. Certainly a lot of teams are similar in their coverage schemes because there is only a certain number you can play. It is different. It is a good front. It is a group that is not crazy schematically. It is just very sound. If you look at this team on tape and watch them like we do every team, the worst thing you can do is get caught up on someone’s record. We know that sitting on 4-8 going against Pittsburgh last week. Not that they did but I’m just saying any team, any week. This team in a lot of ways, I look at their record and see a lot of how our year has been. They had Atlanta and they went 99 yards in under a minute the first time. Tampa Bay scores and gets a two point conversion to beat them there late. They have had other games. They could easily be right there sitting at a different spot. It is a good group, an active group. One we are not real familiar with like all NFC teams. You play them once every four years and you are not too familiar with their personnel. This corner does this, this safety does this, this linebacker does this, it just takes a little more time from a preparation standpoint.”

On watching Cam Newton from another quarterback perspective with his ability to run:

“In a lot of ways we are playing a very similar position and in a lot of ways he is playing the game totally different than I am. He is a heck of a player. He can do it all. I know from Chud (offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski) being there, they are calling the same plays we call. Then they are calling something very different to take advantage of what he does well. Just from seeing what he did in college and in his early years of his NFL career. He is a heck of a player. He does some unbelievable things. That is what catches the highlights but he also drops back and throws all of the routes.”

On what it means to pass former Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts in consecutive seasons with 20 touchdowns or more:

“When you are in the midst of the season that thus far has not gone the way you wanted, you maybe don’t appreciate it as much. Anytime in the offseason or when your career is done and you look back and see some of the things as a group. Individually, a statistic or record but as a group, you are able to accomplish but you are able to look at a guy like Dan Fouts and Charlie Joiner and those guys at the players they were certainly means something to you.”

On Danario Alexander having more receiving yards and touchdowns since he was signed than Vincent Jackson:

“You’re looking at a small sample size but he has been awesome. That still does not take away from the fact that he has been awesome. He gave us a boost. He scored I don’t know how many touchdowns. That is the name of the game, to score touchdowns and make big plays. Hopefully he will continue to do that the rest of the season and then hopefully beyond.”

On taking the looming blackout personally:

“You look around the league and teams are 5-8. It is unfortunate because it is a passionate group of fans and they want us to win. I know as a team, as players I know from a support standpoint it would be nice to still see it full when you are going through a rough stretch. Even when you are 13-3 and things are going good. It is understandable too at the same time. We have to go out and control what we can control. They are going to kick off if the stadium is empty or if there are people lining up and fighting to get in. I think it is unfortunate but if you look around the league, when you are 5-8, that is usually what it results from.”

On finding himself looking at possible playoff scenarios:

“Not really. You certainly are aware of them in a sense. I don’t know the exact details. I know we need a lot of help. Most importantly we have to win because all things can happen but if we don’t win, we know we are eliminated. We have to keep winning. I’m not getting ahead of myself but it would be awesome to get to 8-8. You get in or not get in, no we would not be satisfied, we would be disappointed but it would say something about us and our ability to finish the year.”

On thinking back to the last match up against the Panthers:

“2008 was a crazy year and that one certainly would have helped us. That one would have helped us. We ended up at 4-8 at that point too. We had to rebound the same type of way. It is a totally different team in a lot of ways. We have a bunch of young guys that were not playing in 2008. The guy that caught the touchdown is on our team now so it is safe to say he won’t do that to us this week.”

On chatting with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during the game against the Steelers last week:

“I don’t know that it was Tomlin specifically but he was in the mix. I have a lot of respect for him and his teams. He is a heck of a guy, coach and competitor. I was having a heck of a lot of fun that whole game. I try to have a lot of fun every week. In a year when you have lost 7 of 8 it is not quite as fun. We now have a streak of one in a row and hopefully we can get to two on Sunday.” Read